Coutinho's Influence Secured A Point.

Manchester United still haven't gotten into their strides despite their wealth of abundance in talents. With Ronaldo out with hip injury, Elanga came into the fray and United dominated the first half while Aston Villa took charge of the second half.

Bruno Fernandes scored 2 goals to give United 2 goals lead at Villa Park but Ramsey and the new boy, Coutinho both scored to restore parity and give Aston Villa a deserved point due to their second-half brilliance and dominance.

United started the game well and went on the front foot. They took the lead in a funny fashion after Telles won the freekick after his brilliant surge. He stepped over the freekick with Bruno Fernandes and ran over the ball but not without touch to leave Fernandes with an acre of space. He tried a long-range strike which Martinez fumbled into his own net after dropping from his hand and passed through in between his legs in the 6th minute, 1-0.

United almost doubled their tally after a lovely cross into the box from Fred was meant from Elanga but he was unable to direct his head goal-ward. United had another chance after a lovely ball in from Telles narrowly missed Cavani who was blocked off by the defender but it came to Greenwood whose attempted half volley was stopped and blocked for a corner by Martinez.

Manchester United asked Aston Villa most of the questions and Diogo Dalot won a free-kick on the side of the box in the 27th minute. Telles took it this time and his shot was heading goal-ward if Martinez didn't punch it. Greenwood gathered the rebound and his outside the box shot only missed narrowly.

Aston Villa had a chance of their own too after Cavani lost the ball at the middle of the park and Watkins was fed with the ball. His tame shot didn't threaten De Gea as much as he would have liked. Manchester United also had the chance to extend their lead and this time around with Greenwood. His shot was blocked off by Martinez and Elanga was unable to get the follow up with his header.

Aston Villa grew into the game and had one of their best chances in the 37th minute through Buendia after his close-range thumping header was blocked by De Gea. Aston Villa had another chance in the 43rd minute in what would have been a debut goal for Lucas Digne after his transfer from Everton. De Gea was there to deny him after Danny Ings was blocked off the ball that was crossed into the box but it fell nicely to Lucas Digne instead but his attempt to score was denied by De Gea at his near post.

United started the second half as they did the first with Elanga coming close with a lovely strike at the edge of the box but Martinez saved it. Aston Villa had a wonderful chance yet again through Jacob Ramsey's strike but got denied yet again by the impressive David De Gea as he went down quickly to deny the low drive.

Ben Cash made a wayward pass in the 60th minute which Elanga pounced on but was unable to punish Villa as his strike missed narrowly. Greenwood also came close a minute after with his effort to pick the bottom left corner of the post from inside the box but he missed by just a whisker.

In the 67th minute, Sanson made it difficult for his side after his back pass was pounced on by Fred who fed Bruno Fernandes with the pass as he hammered home the shot that came off the underside of the bar to extend United's lead to 2-0.

Aston Villa finally got a goal back in the 77th minute after substitute and new boy; Phillip Coutinho linked up well to set up Ramsey inside United's box and he finished his effort sensationally to half the deficit. Villa had renewed hope as they kept throwing everything at United, even before the goal. It was a different Villa side in the second half compared to the first half.

Villa got back into the game in the 82nd minute and it was Coutinho who got the second goal after his initial assist. He tapped the ball into the empty net after Ramsey's flashed the ball into the box with Varane and De Gea beaten. Coutinho has proved his worth for his new side with just less than 20 minutes played already.

Thank you for your time.

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Still me,

My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.

Olawalium; (Love's chemical content, in human form). Take a dose today: doctor's order.